up toIs your rental

scratch?Well done, you’re taking the first step to making your rental a healthy investment.

Rental health checklistFrom 1 July 2021, some rental properties will need to meet the healthy homes standards. Use this checklist as a simple guide to see if you need to do some work on your property.

Throughout the checklist, you’ll answer questions about each of the standards:

Heating

Insulation

Ventilation

Moisture ingress & drainage

Draught stopping

HeatingYour rental will need one or more fixed heater/s that can directly heat the main living room. The heater must be an acceptable type, and must meet the minimum heating capacity required for your living room.

Room to improve

You're on track

Does the ‘main living room’ have a heater in it? If you have a rental property with more than one living room, only the largest living room needs to have a heating device under the healthy homes standards. A ‘living room’ includes any connected spaces that cannot be closed off from the room e.g., open-plan kitchen or dining room, hallway or staircase.

Don't know No Yes

Is the heating source fixed? Unfortunately, plugging in any spare heater won’t do the trick. A fixed heater can be a heat pump, wood burner, pellet burner, flued gas heater or in some situations, an electric heater with a thermostat. Each heater must be located in the living room or provide heat directly to the living room e.g., through a duct or vent.

Don't know No Yes

Is the heater at least 1.5kW capacity?Heat capacity means the amount of heat one heater can provide. 1.5kW is the minimum size. Check your heater's label to find out the capacity, or look up the heater model online.

Don't know No Yes

Does the heater have the correct capacity to heat the space?The size of heater needed depends on the features of the home and the amount of heat that will be lost from the living room. We recommend you use our online tool to calculate the required capacity of your heater in kilowatts(kW). If the room’s layout is complex, or you’re not sure what figures to include, ask an experienced professional for advice.

Don't know No Yes

Is the heater an acceptable type?An open fire or unflued combustion heater (e.g. LPG bottle heater) will not make the grade. If you need a heating capacity of 2.4kW or more, you can’t use an electric heater (unless it’s a heat pump).

Don't know No Yes

If you have a heat pump or an electric heater, does it have a thermostat?You will need one of these on your heater to make the heating more consistent and help tenants use it efficiently.

Don't know No Yes

Was your heater installed before 1 July 2019 and have more than 2.4kW capacity?If you answered yes, you may be in luck. If your heater already meets the requirements for heaters in the healthy homes standards and its heating capacity is 90% of what you need, you won’t need to make any changes.

Don't know No Yes

Topping up

Do you already have an existing heater but it doesn’t meet the required heating capacity?You can add additional heating to ‘top up’ and reach the correct capacity if:• the existing heater was installed before 1 July 2019• the existing heater meets the requirements for heaters in the healthy homes standards• you need a heating capacity of 2.4kW or more, and• the ‘top up’ you need is 1.5kW or less.Remember, if you’re using more than one heater to warm the space, you can add each heater’s output together to check it meets the standard.

Don't know No Yes

www.raisethestandard.nz/landlords

InsulationA well-insulated property can help reduce the chances of mould and other nasties taking hold. It’ll also make it easier for a house to retain heat — a dry house is a warmer home.

Room to improve

You're on track

Does your rental have insulation in the ceiling? You should be able to check this by just poking your head into the ceiling space. Insulation is usually made out of products like polyester, wool or fibreglass.

Don't know No Yes

Is there insulation under the flooring as well? Don't know No Yes

Is the existing insulation in a reasonable condition? Reasonable condition means there should be no signs of dampness, mould, water damage, rips, tears, gaps in the insulation coverage, vermin or bird nests. If it looks like the insulation has compacted or degraded, it will probably need replacing.

Don't know No Yes

Was your ceiling insulation installed before 1 July 2016? Answered yes? As long as it's thicker than 120mm, and in reasonable condition, your ceiling insulation is likely up to standard.

Don't know No Yes

Was your insulation installed after 1 July 2016? Answered yes? Your insulation needs to meet the minimum R-values for your zone. Not sure what this means? Learn about R-values below.

Don't know No Yes

Get in the zone

Do you know your R-values?The R-value will tell you how well your insulation can resist heat flow. ‘R’ stands for thermal resistance. Basically, the higher the R-value, the better the insulation. You will need to know the required minimum R-value for the zone your property is in. There are three zones across New Zealand.

● ● Zone 1 ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3 ●● Zone 2 ceiling R 2.9, underfloor R 1.3 ●● Zone 3 ceiling R 3.3, underfloor R 1.3

Don't know No Yes

Does the insulation product meet the minimum R-value for your zone? The R-value of new insulation is on the product packaging. For existing insulation, check in the ceiling or underfloor space as the R-value from the packaging may be stapled to a beam — or talk to an experienced professional.

Don't know No Yes

www.raisethestandard.nz/landlords

VentilationThe ventilation standard is all about recognising that dry air is easier to heat — and a well-ventilated rental is less likely to lead to property damage.

Open it up Room to improve

You're on track

Do all ‘liveable’ rooms have an openable window, door or skylight? Bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens are considered ‘liveable’ rooms. So don’t worry about the hallway. Windows, doors and skylights should open to the outdoors and allow a healthy flow of air in and out of the property.

Don't know No Yes

Can the windows, doors or skylights stay fixed in an open position? Just propping the window open is not an option. It needs to be able to be fixed and stay in an open position.

Don't know No Yes

Does each room have enough openable windows?The total openable area of the windows should be at least 5% of the room’s floor area. It doesn't matter how far windows or doors can open.

Don't know No Yes

Extract what?

Does the kitchen have an extractor fan or rangehood? Any room with an indoor cooktop is considered a kitchen.

Don't know No Yes

Is the kitchen fan vented to the outside? Don't know No Yes

Was the kitchen fan installed after 1 July 2019? If so, the fan must have a minimum diameter of 150mm, or have an exhaust capacity of at least 50 litres per second.

Don't know No Yes

Does the bathroom have an extractor fan? Any room with a bath or shower is considered a bathroom.

Don't know No Yes

Is the bathroom fan vented to the outside? Don't know No Yes

Was the bathroom fan installed after 1 July 2019? If so, the fan must have a minimum diameter of 120mm (including ducting), or have an exhaust capacity of at least 25 litres per second.

Don't know No Yes

Are all of the fans in good working order? They are in ‘good working order’ if they are able to ventilate extracted air effectively to the outdoors.

Don't know No Yes

www.raisethestandard.nz/landlords

Moisture ingress & drainageWhen it comes to moisture and damp, it’s often what you don’t see that can be the culprit. Making sure the water has a place to go, and that it can’t linger is an essential part of keeping your property dry.

Deny the damp Room to improve

You're on track

Does the property have an enclosed space under the floor (subfloor)? The subfloor is the bit under the house between the floor and the ground. It's considered enclosed if the airflow in and out is significantly obstructed more than 50% - by things like foundations, cement board cladding or earth. However, perimeter claddings such as baseboards with multiple continuous gaps of more than 20mm width or trellis do not significantly obstruct airflow.

Don't know No Yes

If your property has a space under the floor, does it have a ‘ground moisture barrier’ installed? A ground moisture barrier sounds more technical than it is. It’s just there to block the moisture in the ground from rising into the property. It usually looks like a plastic sheet covering the ground.

Don't know No Yes

Is the ground moisture barrier undamaged and secured? Don't know No Yes

Let it drain away

Are there gutters that drain water away from all parts of the roof? Don't know No Yes

Do they connect to a downpipe (directly or via a connection)? Don't know No Yes

Are the gutters and downpipes large enough to not overflow? Don't know No Yes

Do the gutters stay clear of sitting water after it has rained? Don't know No Yes

Are the existing gutters and downpipes intact and securely fixed? Don't know No Yes

Are all gutters and downpipes clear of blockages? Don't know No Yes

Do all downpipes direct water to an appropriate outfall? An outfall is the discharge point of a waste stream — like a soak hole, channel or stormwater drains. These are generally provided by your local council. It may also be a soakage system, natural watercourse or water storage system.

Don't know No Yes

Is all surface and ground water directed to an appropriate outfall? Don't know No Yes

www.raisethestandard.nz/landlords

Draught stoppingBecome a draught detective and keep the breeze outside. Draughts increase the likelihood of lower temperatures in houses. A draught free home costs less to heat and will keep your tenants happy.

Room to improve

You're on track

Can you feel a noticeable draught from an ‘unreasonable’ gap or hole in a wall, ceiling, window, skylight, floor or door? If you can feel external air coming in or a clear draught from a gap or hole, then it probably needs stopping.

Don't know Yes No

Are there gaps where the wall and ceiling or wall and floor join? Don't know Yes No

Are there any holes in walls or ceilings or around ceiling hatches? Don't know Yes No

Are there draughts coming through doors, windows or floorboards? Don't know Yes No

Are there large gaps between te bottom of the door and the floor? Don't know Yes No

Are there broken or loose hinges, catches or latches that prevent doors or windows from closing tightly?

Don't know Yes No

Are there any gaps around electrical and plumbing passages or unused ventilation devices?

Don't know Yes No

If there is an open fireplace that isn’t in use, is it blocked off?Answered yes? If the tenant requests the fireplace be left open, it doesn't need to be blocked.

Don't know No Yes

What next?If you're seeing lots of ticks in the teal (right) column, you’re probably on the right track.

If there's lots of ticks in pink (left) column, you may need to roll up your sleeves and start planning some upgrades.

If there were questions you couldn't answer, you may need to do a little more research or should ask a professional.

Check out the full details of the healthy homes standards and exemptions at: tenancy.govt.nz/healthy-homes